NATURA E PERCORSI

 Although Chiavari is predominantly urban, there are areas around the town with a moderate to high rate of biodiversity.

Historically, it is one of the most famous centres for the study of Ligurian botany. We should mention the Chiavari botanists Federico Delpino and Bernardino Turio, who were the first to study in depth the nature of the valleys and rivers bordering Chiavari, as well as the anthropised plains of the River Entella, once the site of important wetlands comparable to those around the River Magra today. As a result, Chiavari is included in two Sites of Community Importance, as well as in a Faunal Protection Provincial Oasis.

The site “pSIC Pineta – Lecceta di Chiavari” is the one that most characterises the natural environment in the area. It includes a coastal stretch with holm oak forests (Quercus ilex) and pine forests with maritime pine, domestic and Aleppo pine (Pinus pinaster, Pinus pinea, Pinus halepensis). It contains land belonging to the sedimentary formation of Mount Antola.

The site has numerous endemic species, including the marine molluscs Toffolettia stritiolata and Solatopupa pallida. Among the flora, the species of greatest interest is Euphorbia biumbellata, at the north-eastern edge of its distribution area. There are also numerous orchids protected by international regulations (CITES).

Another important site that only partially involves the Chiavari area is the “pSIC Mouth and Middle Course of the River Entella”. The Entella originates from the confluence of three streams (Lavagna, Graveglia and Sturla) in Carasco. The springs of the Lavagna torrent, which flows between the towns of Lavagna and Chiavari like the River Entella, are located in the area of Siestri, in the Municipality of Neirone, possibly the place mentioned by Dante Alighieri in the verses of the Purgatorio.

The site comprises the River Entella, which is about 5 km long. The geology is characterised by alluvial deposits of gravel and clayey sands. The waters are populated by minnows (Leuciscus souffia) and barbel (Barbus plebejus).
For enthusiasts, the main specimens are listed here: the kingfisher (Alcedo atthis), tawny pipit (Anthus campestris), purple heron (Ardea purpurea), greater short-toed lark calandrella (Calandrella brachydactyla), little egret (Egretta garzetta), gardener (Emberiza hortulana), black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus), little bittern (Ixobriychus minutus), red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio), Mediterranean gull (Larus melanocephalus), bluethroat (Luscinia svecica), a rare and beautiful bird of Swedish origin, night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), as well as fish such as the minnow (Leuciscus souffia) and barbel (Barbus plebejus) and, among the insects, the moth (Callimorpha quadripunctaria). Among the plant species, you can find the yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus), now very rare, but once common in the swampy areas of the plain.